John Stuart Mill: Autobiography Essay on liberty

Looking at how Mill described his writing in his Autobiography may help to better understand Mills motivation for writing On Liberty. On Liberty according to Mill is about the need of a vast variation in types of character and of affording full freedom to human nature to expand itself in many and competing directions as he put it in his essay. Throughout the entire book On Liberty there is a celebration of uniqueness and detestation of conformity. Mill opposes any efforts to influence peoples ideas and behavior through social or legal coercion. He contends that society should appreciate diversity and that force should only be used when a persons behavior endangers other people.